Car coupler



July 24, 1934., A. J. BAZELEY CAR COUPLER Filed oct. 1e.. 192s QQ. e

wl@ alt/tom 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 5mm/nto@ Patented July 24, 1934 PATENT OFFICE CAR COUPLER Arthur J. Bazeley, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to National Malleable and Steel Castings Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application October 16, 1928, Serial No. 312,766

2 Claims.

My invention relates to uncoupling mechanism for car couplers and comprises a construction in which, while permitting the unooupling rod to follow the coupler in its lateral movements as well as in its movements in buffing and draft, contains provision for preventing the rod from accidentally uncoupling the lock under bufling impacts or train surges when the train is in motion. My invention also comprises various features which I shall hereinafter describe and claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the end of a railway vehicle showing an uncoupling mechanism embodying Amy invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a modified form of my invention; and Fig. 4 is a side elevation thereof.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the uncoupling rod 2 preferably consists of a one-piece member, the inner end of which terminates in a hook 3 which engages directly the eye 4 of the lock-lift member 5 of the coupler 6. At its outer end the rod 2 is bent nearly at right angles to form the handle 7. The rod is supported near its outer end in an elongated eye or link 8 of a bracket 9 mounted on the end of the car. Beneath the bracket 9 is a stop ledge 10, preferably parallel to the end of the car, against which 1 the handle 'l is intended to bear. In uncoupling, the handle 7 is pulled forwardly directly away from the end of the car. This causes the rod 2 to rotate, thereby raising the lifter 5 and actuating the lock.

As the rod 2 is directly connected to a part of the coupler, it must follow the coupler in both its lateral as well as longitudinal movements, and hence the elongated eye 8 of the bracket makes provision for such movement. Coupling rods which are directly connected to the lifters of car couplers frequently swing away from the end of the car during impact coupling or surges while the train is in motion with suflicient force to operate the lock-lifting mechanism. These e blows or surges will thus cause the rod to move the lifter to unlock the lock-to-the-lock, or even throw the lock into lock-set position. To provide against the swinging of the rod I have inclined the elongated eye 8 in which the rod is supported y so that the rod will always tend to work down the incline toward the lower and inner end of the eye, and the handle 7 will therefore normally lie against the stopy ledge 10. It will thus be seen that as the coupler moves backward or forward during buif or draft or laterally as the car rounds curves, the rod is free to slide back and forth in the bracket without any tendency to rotate and at the same time the handle 7 will always be returned to its engagement with the ledge 10. For instance, in the case of impact coupling or train surges when the car is suddently propelled forward the rod merely slides up in the eye 8 and the rod 2 is therefore not jerked or swung violently by such blows or surges in such a Way as to make uncoupling likely.

In Figs. 3 and 4 I have shown a modified form of my invention in which the support or link 28 for the outer end of the rod 22 is in the form of a separate member which is pivotally mounted at 32 in the bracket 29, so that the support 28 may swing toward and away from the car. The bracket 29 has side walls 33 between which the support 28 is hung, which prevent the support 28 from swinging sideways and limit its motion to a plane normal to the end of the car. Under impact coupling or train surges the support 28 merely swings away from the car and thus prevents the rotation of the handle 27 and the consequent operation of the lifter. The stop ledge 30 has the same function as the stop ledge 10 of Figs. 1 and 2.

When the rod is operated by hand to unlock the coupler the support 28 swings outwardly until it contacts with the shoulder 34 on the bracket 29. As the handle 2'7 is pulled out further the rod begins to rotate in the support 28 and raises the lifter, thus actuating the lock.

The terms and expressions which I have employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and I have no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, or" excluding any mechanical equivalents of the features shown and described, or portions thereof, but recognize that Various structural modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

What I claim is:

1. In uncoupling mechanism for car couplers, lock operating means on the coupler, a rod secured at one of its ends to and supported by said lock operating means and having at its opposite end a handle depending therefrom, and a bracket mounted on the end of the car adjacent the outer end of the rod, said bracket having a rigid portion providing a support for said rod adjacent its outer end, said portion being elongated in a direction longitudinal of the car and inclined forwardly and upwardly with respect thereto, the end of the rod being movable bodily along said support in response to the impact of buiiing, said the outer end of the rod, said bracket having a rigid elongated loop inclined forwardly and upwardly With respect to the end of the car and providing a support for said rod adjacent its outer end, the end of the rod being movable bodily along said support in response to the impact z of buing; said loopjenabling;- return of the end of the rodby gravityfutofnormal position.

ARTHUR J. BAZELEY. 

